Baseball fans cheer on Vallejo Admiral hopefuls

Vallejo fans got a sneak peak Saturday of what sunny afternoons can be like when there's a pro baseball team in town.

"I'm excited about that," said Terri Simon, a Vallejo resident who came with a few friends to witness the Vallejo Admirals play an exhibition game against the San Rafael Pacifics.

The Admirals are a newcomer to Vallejo, part of the Pacific Association of Professional Baseball Clubs, an independent professional baseball league.

Indeed, the team's roster still isn't formed, and Saturday served as a tryout for several hopefuls.

The Admirals' season begins May 28 on the road in Arizona. The first home game at Wilson Park is June 18.

Fairfield's David Castillo hopes his son Daniel, 22, makes the cut. The younger Castillo already had an offer from a team in New Mexico, but playing for the Admirals would keep the Prairie View A&M University graduate closer to home.

"We'd like him to play here and not go to New Mexico," Castillo said as he watched his son pitch against the Pacifics.

Castillo was also pleased with the establishment of professional baseball team in Solano County.

"We used to have the (Solano) Steelheads in Vacaville, and we used to go to that all the time," Castillo said of the Steelheads, who played at Travis Credit Union Park in Vacaville from 2000 to 2002. They were part of the now defunct Western Baseball League.

The Admirals put up a spirited fight against the Pacifics in front of a crowd of about 150 people at Wilson Park before falling 8-3. Various competitions between innings, such as fans dressed up as Sumo wrestlers, kept the crowd amused as the players readied themselves.

Like Castillo, many came on to cheer a friend or family member who were on either of the two teams.

But Simon came for the simple pleasures of the ballpark.

"I think it's a good family activity ... and brings people together," she said.

University of San Francisco students, who are taking a sports management class, organized the game. They gained experience in areas like merchandise, public relations and in-game operation.